Bach’s Library

Musicians posing with their instruments in a studio with a warm glow

Peek into the library of J.S. Bach, featuring an elegant suite, virtuoso harpsichord concertos, and music by those who inspired him.

Making his Tafelmusik debut this season is harpsichord soloist and director Francesco Corti, “a powerhouse of unbridled vivacity, exciting and excitable in equal measure” (BBC Music Magazine). Corti leads the orchestra in a fascinating program of music by J. S. Bach and those who inspired him, including Steffani and Zelenka—composers whose manuscripts were found to be part of his personal library.

At the heart of this concert are three works by Bach himself: the elegant Orchestral Suite no 1 in C Major, featuring Tafelmusik’s superb wind players, the imposing and exhilarating Harpsichord Concerto in D Minor, and the brilliant Harpsichord Concerto in D Major.

Guest Artists
Credits & Program
Box Office
Jeanne Lamon Hall
1 (833) 964–6337 | Email
Running Time
About 130 minutes
Style of Music
Baroque

Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre

March 3, 2023 8:00 pm
March 4, 2023 2:00 pm
March 5, 2023 3:00 pm

Purchase tickets to our Sunday performance for best available seats.

Please note: this performance is being filmed and some seats may have obstructed views

Francesco Corti

Guest director & harpsichord soloist

A prizewinner at the International Bach Competition in Leipzig (2006) and the Bruges Harpsichord Competition (2007), Francesco Corti has appeared in recitals and concerts all over the world. He has appeared at festivals such as Mozart Woche, Salzburger Festpiele, BachFest Leipzig, and Festival Radio France Montpellier, and has performed in halls such as Salle Pleyel (Paris), Bozar (Bruxelles), Konzerthaus (Vienna), Tonhalle (Zürich), Mozarteum (Salzburg) and Concertgebouw (Amsterdam). He has performed as a member of Les Musiciens du Louvre (Minkowski), Zefiro (Bernardini), Bach Collegium Japan (Suzuki), Les Talens Lyriques (Rousset), Harmonie Universelle (Deuter) and Le Concert des Nations (Savall). He regularly directs Les Musiciens du Louvre and is principal guest director of Il Pomo d’Oro. He has led concerts with B’Rock, Nederlandse Bachvereniging, and Holland Baroque. Since September 2016, he is professor of harpsichord at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.

Francesco was born in Italy to a musical family. He studied organ in Perugia, and harpsichord in Geneva and Amsterdam. He was appointed harpsichord professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland in 2016.

Credits

Francesco Corti harpsichord soloist & guest director

Program

Steffani Ouverture to Orlando generoso

Bach Orchestral Suite no. 1 in C, BWV 1066

Bach Harpsichord Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052

Bach Harpsichord Concerto in D Major, BWV 1054

Hasse Sinfonia in G Minor, op. 5 no. 6

Zelenka  Ouverture a 7 in F Major, ZWV 188